Look! Erik Burke's Building-sized Mural In Bushwick

Jeremy Sapienza, of the fabulous BushwickBK.com, recently commissioned local artist Erik Burke to cover the entire facade of his building with a two-story mural...

The finished piece incorporates street scenes from the neighborhood with abstract treatments; Erik even included several portraits of kids from the block, eager to see themselves in the work. From Erik's Flickr, "every time i thought it was almost done a new kid in the neighborhood would come over and beg to have their portrait added. big thanks to jeremy for letting me paint his building and loiter on the stoop."

Jeremy has this to say about the process: "Why a mural? I can't afford the $40,000 it would take to restore my facade back to how it looked in the 1930s, so in the meantime, instead of just another coat of boring paint on the crappy stucco, why not a piece of art? It's probably the only full-size residential mural in Bushwick, at least that I know of, and the neighbors have been supportive and even enthusiastic. It's been a great experience."